Dance students at UNC School of the Arts are working on a piece that reflects the struggles and emotional predicaments of youth.
"Holden C." was choreographed by Eric Oberdorff, a guest artist from France. The first performance is Thursday during the school's annual "Spring Dance" concert in Thrust Theatre on campus.
What might surprise some observers, particularly those for whom youth is a distant memory, is the intensity of the emotions in "Holden C."
This was apparent during a recent rehearsal, particularly in a duet featuring Matthew Foley and Rachel Watson.
Everything about their interaction celebrates immoderation, from the way Watson perches on Foley's elevated knees to the manner in which Foley interrupts Watson's fall to the floor.
As they become entangled in a dance of intimacy, Watson clings to Foley and, with her arms at her sides and her feet largely off the floor, is swung around the studio.
"Holden C." highlights a program that includes Eliot Feld's "A Stair Dance" and Marius Petipa's "Paquita."
The performance will also feature the premiere of "_Scape," which Susan McCullough, an UNCSA instructor and its creator, describes as a presentation of two groups, one focused on a central figure and the other on the pulse of everyday life. "_Scape" explores how the groups move in and out of each other's existence.
* * * * *As for "Holden C.," it is the latest piece in a planned larger cycle of work that Oberdorff has been creating for pre-professional dancers.
Each work connects its cast members to an iconic figure who reflects their cultural environment. In the case of "Holden C.," that figure is Holden Caufield, the protagonist in "The Catcher in the Rye," J.D. Salinger's highly regarded novel of teen angst and rebellion.
"For me, Holden Caulfield is a symbol for post-adolescent character and everything that goes with it," Oberdorff said. "Everything you experience is so extreme."
Oberdorff's association with UNCSA has its roots in his friendship with Ethan Stiefel, UNCSA's dance dean. Stiefel and Oberdorff danced professionally in Zurich during the 1990s.
Oberdorff has turned much of his attention to choreography, creating several works for Compagnie Humaine of Nice, a dance company he founded in 2002.
* * * * *
"Holden C." is the first work that Oberdorff has created in the United States. He has enjoyed working with some of this country's most promising dancers, he said, praising their skill and energy. He said he appreciates their openness about learning new things, especially where contact is involved and in learning about a hybrid genre called "dance theater," which is prevalent in Europe.
Foley said Oberdorff has taught him to experiment within a choreographic framework. "I'm not just going to walk in a straight line," he said. "I can step out of the line, but stay close to the line."
Watson said she has grown a lot.
"Every day is different," she said. "So, therefore, you're going to have a different way of going about things; that's OK. It's just how we feel that day. It's so much more natural. It's so not so stiff."
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